Mommy Makeovers are on the Rise

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports a rise in plastic surgery among women of childbearing age, showing that more than 325,000 mommy makeover procedures were performed nationally on women ages 20 to 39 and 62% of moms say they would consider undergoing a procedure if cost was not an issue.  More and more surgeons say they are seeing more women complain about the loss of their pre-pregnancy figure and unhappy with the fact that they have been unable to return to their pre-pregnancy weight.

At TruYou Plastics surgery, we specialize in the mommy makeover, tummy tuck, and other post-pregnancy body contouring procedures. While the cost of surgery is a definite factor to consider, we have financing products available to help.

 Also, patients in Jacksonville will be happy to learn that the cost of plastic surgery here in the first coast is far less expensive than anywhere else in Florida. Call us to schedule your complimentary consultation today. (904) 638-5555.

Couples choose to have plastic surgery

"He hadn't thought about getting anything done, but after hearing how I would look afterward, he decided he should probably go ahead and have a little something done too," -patient, who asked that her last name not be used for privacy reasons.

This couple represents a growing trend. Although neither the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery nor the American Society of Plastic Surgeons keeps statistics, representatives for both groups say there is anecdotal evidence that more couples are having cosmetic surgery together.

The trend is a corollary to the increase in recent years of cosmetic procedures performed on men, who now account for 9% of the total.

It's a male ego thing. When a wife comes in and has work done and is delighted with the outcome, the husband or partner feels more confident and secure and more likely to ask questions. Men are often initially introduced when they come in with their wives, who are looking at having this or that done. When the husband is in there, he sees some of the information, and then he sort of gets interested. Then, when the wife comes in for a post operative appointment they pull me to the side and we'll talk about his eyes, love handles or neck.

Liposuction is enormously popular for both men and women. In 2011, more than 300,000 lipoplastys were performed in the United States, surpassing breast augmentation as the most popular cosmetic surgical procedure for the first time since 2008, according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

But although coupled men and women may have their procedures done around the same time, what they're having done may differ. The most common areas for male Liposuction are the abdomen, chest and chin. For women, it's tummy, thighs, neck, and knees.

Rounding out the list of top anti-aging cosmetic surgical procedures for women are tummy tucks and cosmetic eyelid surgeries. For men, it's eyelid surgery and gynecomastia, also known as male breast reduction, according to the ASAPS.

If cosmetic surgery is, to some extent, about keeping up with the Joneses, there's no more important Jones than a spouse. Psychologically, there's just something unsettling about a man and a wife who are aging out of sync!
Remove unwanted, stubborn belly and love handle fat pockets. Call us to schedule a free cosmetic consultation today. (904)638-5555

Reversing the Effects of Sun Damage

Most patients have spent far to many hours in the sun with their skin unprotected.  Left exposed to the sun's harmful rays, the skin eventually begins to darken, dry, and wrinkle. The face is left looking aged, pigmented, and undesireable. Once patients begin to notice these effects, they begin to apply sun screen and are much more careful outdoors. However, the damage has already been done as most of the harmful effects of solar radiation occur before the age of thirteen.

As plastic surgeons, we have so many weapons at our disposal now that we didn't have 5 years ago. Treating sun damage and aging can be much easier today with non-invasive and minimally invasive procedures and treatments. We start with assessing the patient's individual needs and goals. Then put together a plan to address the main issues. Sometimes, this could entail several months of treatments that build on each other to produce amazing results with little to no overall downtime.

For instance, facial skin products like hydroquinone, Retin-A, and moisturizers (like Obagi) are the basics of any skin restoration program.  To that we add peels, lasers, fillers, and skin tightening treatments. Aside from making a patient`s face look younger, chemical peels also improve acne scars, age and liver spots and irregular skin pigmentation. Any skin acne must be treated as well prior to or during the regimen.

"Plastic surgery shouldn`t shout, it should whisper. It should look elegant, and so a younger person who just wants to sort of maintain a good quality skin can start with these non-invasive procedures- Dr. Sternberg."

The surgeons at TruYou plastic surgery perform botox and injectible [link id='55'] such as Sculptra, Juvaderm, Restylane and silicone lip implants to help with achieving the treatment goals. They say these procedures are good for those who want to reverse the signs of aging and are looking for subtle, realistic results.

Do You Know Your Plastic Surgeon is Qualified??

Your read and hear about plastic surgery gone wrong at least monthly. Patients unassumingly undergo plastic surgery procedures with unqualified or untrained surgeons and when something goes wrong it costs the patient both financially and physically.

Why does this happen?

Although state medical boards regulate who can obtain a license to practice medicine, they don't restrict doctors from performing procedures outside of their training or specialty. Once they are licensed, there is no law against doctors performing any medical procedure they want to, as long as the patient consents to it.

As a board-certified plastic surgeon, I can legally perform a knee replacement or hysterectomy, procedures for which I am completely unqualified. This lack of regulation has allowed an increasing number of doctors of all types -- including gynecologists, general surgeons and even emergency medicine physicians -- to perform tummy tucks, liposuction, facelifts and breast enhancement.
These procedures are almost never performed in real hospitals. Hospitals typically vet their surgeons and allow them to practice only within their field of training and expertise. Doctors get around this by performing cosmetic procedures in their own in-office operating rooms or at ambulatory surgery centers, where the credentialing requirements may not be as strict.

So why do so many doctors reject their chosen specialty and remake themselves as plastic surgeons?
One word: money.

Declining physician reimbursement has resulted in more physicians looking for ways to enhance their income. And plastic surgery is one of the only fields of medicine that is shielded from insurance companies.

So an increasing number of doctors are closing their traditional medical practices and opening cosmetic surgery centers. These physicians learn the basics of plastic surgery through weekend courses, shadowing other doctors and even online webinars. This influx of poorly trained cosmetic surgeons has caused "bad plastic surgery" to become more common
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If you are considering having plastic surgery, I implore you: Do your homework. Find a plastic surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the only plastic surgery board that is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Both of our Surgeons are Board Certified by the ASPS and perform cosmetic surgery only at approved and certified surgery centers, like the atlantic-surgery-center. Call us today to schedule a complimentary cosmetic consultation.